[WCG]

@Wrath:  teleportation will be used on occasion as Vince does, to facilitate the player starting a quest without having to sync up a bunch of variables himself.  For example, if you're supposed to meet someone at midnight, you would start the quest at or near the location at midnight, instead of having to find a place to sleep nearby and time it yourself.

If that's the case, you could start the quest with a trunk or other suitable container, too. And a shovel.  I just like the visual image of the grave-robber - black clothing, shovel, trunk, horse-drawn carriage, etc.  Yeah, a text-adventure would work fine, too. Just imagining all this is fun enough.

I can understand that you don't want to make a mini-game out of it, but I hope you take advantage of the scene in some way, just for local color.

PS. You're not going to reuse the trunk after it's held a rotting carcass, right? So if it just appears with you at the start of the quest, you can leave the body AND the trunk at the end of it. So no problem with trying to use it for inventory.

[Dicksmoker]

@Dicksmoker:  why don't I just email you the master quest document? 

Sounds like a plan.

Look, you described a game mechanic. I think in order for us give good feedback on it, we need to know various ways in which this mechanic would come into effect, and most importantly, why. Some concrete examples, at least, would go a long way.

Although, from what I've heard so far, I would say that if it's just a matter of certain people at certain times asking you to move a body (which seems to be the case) then you should just handle it on a quest-by-quest basis. (In other words, not a mechanic.)

[AstroChimp]

Teleport to Destination
It has to be nighttime, and you have to have a destination where a body has been requested.  If these two stipulations are met, it is presumed you can avoid the "fuzz" and arrive safely.  This is what I'm going with unless someone comes up with something brilliant which requires no animations or minigame, which is more or less impossible, right?

I think this is the superior option as well although I think there may be some inexpensive ways to get some more mileage out of teleportation.  The teleportation process could require a check for strength to ensure the player can reasonably heft the corpse.  If not, the player must find a not-so-scrupulous third party and hire them to do the job.  In this situation, I imagine that once the player negotiates a deal with the third party the teleportation will occur. 

If the player has enough strength he can attempt to move the body.   Based on time of day and sneak-related skill checks, he may be confronted by an authority figure at which point persuasion related skills engage.  He can attempt a lie ("He over indulged at the pub again constable!") or a bribe.  Failing this, a physical altercation is the only reasonable exit.   

Essentially, make the player gamble a little.  Give players who have developed certain skills the ability to move a corpse without paying money and without engaging the services of a third party who is obvously unscrupulous.  It might make sense, for instance, to force players who have interacted with a "corpse mover"  to have an additional quest where s/he attempts to blackmail the player.   

[Scott]

Essentially, make the player gamble a little.  Give players who have developed certain skills the ability to move a corpse without paying money and without engaging the services of a third party who is obvously unscrupulous.  It might make sense, for instance, to force players who have interacted with a "corpse mover"  to have an additional quest where s/he attempts to blackmail the player.   

Yes!  This is where the text adventure comes in.  They're very low cost, scripting/modeling-wise.  I would probably write three or four.  All I need is a location to default to if I want the player to have to fight.  I'm not keen on the hiring-a-third-party idea, but that doesn't rule out blackmail, depending on the text adventure.

[OwenMarsh]

I know I'm necroposting.

h:
The Fireman's Carry
Up you go!  Disadvantages:  requires additional animations/models; what if you're spotted?  I'm not interested in creating a whole corpse-moving mini-game where you have to dodge the cops and your nosy neighbours.

I think this is the way to go, with modifications. Require the player to disguise the corpse, say with a mask and a clean suit of clothes. Then he can stagger through the dark alleys of Arkham, telling anyone low-life who asks "my friend had a bit too much to drink". Better yet, he can just hire a taxi.

[MaximB]

While "Teleport to Destination" can be useful in some cases (in cases in which the designer knows that there is absolutely no interest or benefit to the player doing it manually) some players would ask themselves "how the hell I've managed to carrie  this corpse on my own ? (have you tried lifting a ~60-70KG body and walking with it for miles ? I mean even if the road was clear of living people who could ask questions about your deed...).

Like FireStomp said the The Steamer Trunk idea might be a better choice here, or something lighter.

Or better yet - you can combine between them.
Have the player acquire the Steamer Trunk first and then Teleport him to Destination (if the road is really not worth "playing it manually") - more logical imo.

[One Wolf]

some players would ask themselves "how the hell I've managed to carrie  this corpse on my own ? (have you tried lifting a ~60-70KG body and walking with it for miles ?

This is a good point.  Weaker characters would have serious difficulty with this.

EDIT:  When I was practicing this technique (single-arm carry), 30 yards was considered long distance.  Pick up a friend and try it, you'll feel the burn.

[Oscar]

Oh, that reminded me of once time my girlfriend had a problem in her ankle, and I had to carry her 10 blocks to the hospital...

[One Wolf]

Oh, that reminded me of once time my girlfriend had a problem in her ankle, and I had to carry her 10 blocks to the hospital...

Did you use the fireman's carry?

[MaximB]

Oh, that reminded me of once time my girlfriend had a problem in her ankle, and I had to carry her 10 blocks to the hospital...

Did you use the fireman's carry?

I bet he used the "Graverobber carry"

[Oscar]

I used the Piggy-back carry. Thing is, she wasn't one of those small girls, but she was around 1.70 and weighted like 60 kg.

[OwenMarsh]

Weight would also make the Steamer Trunk completely legitimate - the character will not use it to carry anything else after disposing of the corpse because it weighs so much it would make combat or other physical activity difficult.